Harry's Nazi 'mistake' shame as he blasts 'lethal' antisemitism sweeping Britain

Prince Harry has spoken out against the rise in antisemitic violence across Britain, describing it as "deeply troubling" and referencing his own infamous past after being photographed wearing a Nazi uniform more than two decades ago.

The Duke of Sussex made the intervention in a column published in The New Statesman, in which he condemned what he called "lethal violence" against Jewish communities in Manchester and London, and warned that silence in the face of hatred allows "hate and extremism to flourish unchecked."

What did Prince Harry write about antisemitism?

Harry acknowledged his own "past mistakes" in the piece - a reference to the scandal that broke in January 2005, when he was photographed dressed in a Nazi outfit at a fancy dress party at the age of 20. The column came more than 20 years after those images first emerged.

The duke was careful to draw a distinction between "legitimate protest" and the targeting of Jewish communities, insisting the two must never be conflated. He wrote: "Nothing, whether criticism of a government or the reality of violence and destruction, can ever justify hostility toward an entire people or faith."

The duke also expressed what he described as "deep and justified alarm" over the scale of loss in Gaza and Lebanon, but argued that people must be far clearer about where their anger is directed — insisting the "onus falls squarely on the state – not an entire people."

Did Harry name Israel in his New Statesman article?

Despite repeatedly referencing the actions of "the state," Harry did not name Israel directly anywhere in the column. He wrote: "We cannot ignore a difficult truth: when states act without accountability, and in ways that raise serious questions under international humanitarian law – criticism is both legitimate, necessary and essential in any democracy. The consequences do not remain contained within borders. They reverberate outward, shaping perception, inflaming tensions."

Harry also acknowledged the tension between legitimate protest and communal hostility, writing: "We have seen how legitimate protest against state actions in the Middle East does exist alongside hostility toward Jewish communities at home – just as we have also seen how criticism of those actions can be too easily dismissed or mischaracterised."

What did Harry say about media coverage of antisemitism?

Harry also took aim at press coverage of the recent attacks, arguing that media commentary had failed to maintain the nuance the issue demands. He said increasingly polarised public discourse was deepening the confusion that "fuels division."

Harry did not dismiss the impulse to take to the streets - calling it "human and necessary" - but drew a firm line between protest and communal blame, maintaining that responsibility must be directed at those accountable, not at whole communities.

Harry ended the piece with a call for "unity," urging people to stand together against both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate. He wrote: "When anger is turned towards communities – whether Jewish, Muslim, or any other – it ceases to be a call for justice and becomes something far more corrosive."

What did Prince William say about antisemitism?

Harry's intervention came as it emerged that the Prince of Wales had separately addressed the issue during an investiture ceremony on Wednesday. Dr Bea Lewkowicz, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, was appointed an OBE at the ceremony and afterwards spoke to the Press Association about her exchange with William.

Dr Lewkowicz said the prince stressed the urgency of "preserving the truth" at a time when digital media had made "Holocaust distortion and rising antisemitism" an ever-present threat.